Plane Crash: Taraba Governor Danbaba Suntai Brain-Damaged

The Governor of Taraba State who was involved in a jet crash, and was flown abroad for medical treatment is now brain dead according to saharareporters.

''Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State, who was seriously injured when his plane crashed on October 25 in Yola, capital of Adamawa State, has suffered extensive brain damage and failed to recognize members of a presidential delegation that visited him at a hospital in Hanover, Germany.

A source close to a senior member of the delegation described the trip to see Mr. Suntai as highly secretive. SaharaReporters learnt that members of the delegation had officially traveled to Vatican City in Rome to witness the consecration of Archbishop John Onaiyekan as a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. After the ceremony in Italy, the delegation then made a quick detour to Germany to see the injured Mr. Suntai.

A trip put together by  Gladys Modupeola Quist-Adebiyi, a staff of the Protocol Department at the Presidency was led by Senate President, David Mark, the delegation included Governor Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State, President Goodluck Jonathan’s chief of staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, also on the delegation was John Kennedy Opara, the secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) and the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba.

Our source said members of the delegation were shocked to see Mr. Suntai in a vegetative state. “His condition was so bad that they could not publicly disclose his condition after they returned to Nigeria,” said the source. SaharaReporters gathered that Mr. Suntai suffered brain damage in the crash of the small plane he was piloting. The crash happened a short distance from the Yola airport. Initial reports from eyewitnesses said Mr. Suntai had died, but it later emerged that he had survived the crash, albeit with critical injuries. He was transferred to the National Hospital in Abuja before being airlifted to Germany after President Jonathan had visited him and given a rosy picture of his condition. Four state officials traveling with Mr. Suntai in the crashed plane were treated in hospitals in Adamawa and later transferred to Germany for treatment after a public outcry.

Since Mr. Suntai’s airlift to Germany, officials of the Taraba State government have engaged in propaganda, claiming that the governor was making remarkable recovery. But our sources, including an official of the state government, admitted that Mr. Suntai’s mental faculty had deteriorated since the accident and that his memory was virtually impaired.

“It is possible that he suffered brain damage because there was some delay before he could be taken abroad,” said a state official.

Contacted by SaharaReporters, a Taraba-born political activist who is based in Abuja said he had also heard about the visit to the ailing governor by Senate President Mark's delegation. He wondered if Mr. Mark’s silence on Governor Suntai's health status signaled a scheme by President Jonathan to delay the swearing in of the deputy governor as the substantive governor.

“We all know how President Umaru Yar’Adua’s people continued to deceive Nigerians that the man was recovering well and how they even brought him back in a comatose state and declared that he was in control of Nigeria,” said the activist. He added: “I hope President Jonathan and the PDP are not planning a similar scenario whereby they will declare that Governor Suntai is in control – until they find a malleable successor who suits them.”

The activist stated that the Presidency should state the truth about the injured governor’s condition to enable the people of Taraba to move ahead with a new administration. “The fact that the people of Taraba have not heard from or seen the governor since the air crash on October 25 2012 means that the man is no longer fit to govern them,” he said.

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Hired Pilot Warned Gov. Suntai Not To Fly But He Ignored It - Report

REPORTS REACHING RHIPPLEMEDIA has it that the recent crash of Cessna 208, a private jet piloted by Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State could have been prevented if he had heeded the professional advice of his hired pilot not to fly to Yola airport at sunset.


According to reports, the hired pilot had earlier warned the governor against flying to the airport when it was obvious that they could not meet with the visual flight mandatory for that type of aircraft which is not in the instrument flight category.

It was learnt that this advice was allegedly jettisoned by Governor Suntai who was said to have immediately taken over the cockpit and embarked on the ill-fated journey with the said pilot refusing to join the flight because of the obvious risk.

Yola airport is not in the category of airports where flights can be operated for 24 hours because it is not well-equipped which makes it a no go area after 6.00 p.m.

Only Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt are on 24-hour flight operations. According to the country's aviation policy, small jets like the Cessna plane Governor Suntai piloted on the day in question was only allowed to fly based on visuals from morning to 6.00 p.m. daily.

And once the sun sets, it is always difficult to fly smaller aircraft like the governor's plane.

The governor, who has since been flown to Germany foradequate treatment in view of the injury he sustained in the crash, obtained a private pilot licence from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, which allows him to fly himself.

The ill-fated plane which departed Jalingo, Taraba State, for Yola, Adamawa State, was reported to have lost contact with the Yola Control Tower (1720Z) and field in sight at 38 miles, estimating landing at 1730Z before crashing

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Reavealed: How Taraba State Governor's Plane Crash Happened

The SA on media to the Aviation Minister, Joe Obi has released a statement concerning the plane crash the Governor of Taraba was involved in yesterday. The good news is that he is still alive.

Contrary to reports flying that Taraba State Governor is dead, the Federal Ministry of Aviation has just issued a statement saying the Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, and the other five passengers aboard the crashed plane are alive.

The statement titled “Incident Involving Aircraft, Cessna 208, 5N-BMJ in Yola, Adamawa State, reads:

“An aircraft, Cessna 208 with 6 souls on board including crew, operated by the Taraba State Government departed Jalingo, Taraba State for Yola this evening and reported contact with the Yola Control Tower (1720Z) and field in sight at 38 miles estimating landing at 1730Z. The pilot subsequently lost contact with Yola Control Tower and subsequent effort to raise the aircraft failed.”.

“Search & Rescue team were immediately activated and site of incident located with all victims alive with various degrees of injuries. The victims have been evacuated to the hospital for treatment pending further investigation of the incident.”

“This is the correct version of the incident; every other one that is contrary to this is incorrect.”

SIGNED: Joe Obi,SA (Media) to Aviation Minister

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Taraba State Governor Plane Crash Update: He Survided

Contrary to ealier reports that  the Taraba State governor, Danbaba Sutai died from a plane crash in Yola, Thursday, Vanguard can confirm that he is alive but in critical condition.

Secretary to the Taraba State government confirmed that Suntai was one of the survivors of an air crash in Yola Airport but however,  said the governor was in critical condition in a specialist hospital in the Adamawa state capital.

Also, the Special Assistant to the Aviation Minister, Mr. Joe Obi, issued a terse statement on the incident claiming that nobody died in the air crash. According to Obi, the incident involved a Cessna 208 aircraft marked 5N-BMJ with six persons on board.

The aircraft, which was piloted by the Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, reportedly left Jalingo, the Taraba State capital at about 5: 20 pm,  but lost contact with the Yola Control Tower 38 miles to landing.

The spokesman said the pilot’s attempt to raise the aircraft, failed.

Obi said search and rescue was immediately activated and the site of the incident located with all the victims alive but with various degrees of injuries.

Vanguard Nigeria

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Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State Dies In A Plane Crash

The Governor of Taraba State, Dambaba Suntai has died in an aircrash at the Yola airport in Adamawa state. The governor died in a small plane piloted by him.

His remains is yet to be recovered from the plane as at the time of writing this...

Two people survived the crash....It just happened..Not much information, Updates later.

May his soul RIP...Amen

UPDATE 1: Gov. Dambaba Suntai is a Licenced Pilot.

UPDATE 2: AIT  said his not dead, only sustained serious injuries...Vanguard and SaharaReporters  reported that his dead

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Aviation - Plane Crash Averted in Benin as Plane Fails to Land

Few months after the Dana Air Crash occured at Iju Ishaja area of Lagos state  leaving hundreds dead, over fifty passengers aboard a plane from Lagos to Benin City escaped death on Saturday, when the aircraft failed to land after hovering in the Benin airspace for about 15 minutes.

The incident caused panic in Benin-City as people immediately evacuated their homes, fearing that the plane might crash-land. The flight flew back to Lagos after it failed to land at the airport. One of the passengers on board, who craved anonymity, disclosed that some “passengers fainted due to fear.”

The passenger continued: “We thought it was going to be another crash. We were hovering round the Benin airspace but we could not land. Of course people were shouting the name of Jesus until we were taken back to Lagos”. A source at the Benin airport said the pilot may have failed to get landing clearance from the control tower. The Benin Airport Manager, Mr Segun Ayodele, he said he was unaware of the incident when contacted last night.

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Dana Airline Shuts Abuja office + 70 bodies Recovered From the Crash

Dana Airline have shut down their Abuja office. Meanwhile the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said more than 70 corpses (bodies unrecognizable) have been recovered from the crash site and deposited at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. LASEMA boss said the residents of the buildings that the plane struck will be evacuated and taken care of.
 
Meanwhile the pilot of the Dana Air plane was an American, co-pilot an Indian and the flight engineer from Indonesia. Among the dead are six Chinese citizens.

The pilot declared an emergency as the plane was on final approach to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and according to witnesses, the plane appeared to be coming in high with its noise up when it crashed, hitting the ground tail first. Continue to see photos from the crash...

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The Dana Plane That Crashed Had History of Mechanical Problems

The Dana Air MC Donnell Douglas MD 83, which crashed in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, on Sunday, has had a history of mechanical problems even before original owners, US-based Alaska Airlines, sold it to Dana Airlines on February 17, 2009.

The Aviation Safety Network, an exclusive service of the Air Safety Foundation (ASF), in a statement on Monday, revealed that the ill-fated aircraft was acquired by Alaska Airline in November 13, 1990.

Twelve years later, on November 4, 2002, the aircraft developed mechanical faults and had an emergency diversion due to smoke in the cabin area, which engineers said was because light ballast had over heated.
On August 20, 2006, passengers had to be evacuated after landing at Long Beach, California, due to a chaffed wire bundle that discharged and produced smoke in the cabin area again. Subsequently, Alaska Airlines, on August 21, parked the aircraft until September 11 2008 when it carried out maintenance work on it. Five months after repairs where concluded, on February 2009, Alaska Airlines sold the aircraft, as 5N-RAM, to Dana Airlines.

See, Nigeria is a dumping ground. Americans reject the plane, Indians buy it and bring it to Nigeria, playing with people's lives. Hope some people are arrested for this. Continue reading...


This year, unconfirmed sources at the airline have revealed that the plane has experienced minor faults twice.
On May 23, after passengers had boarded the aircraft, it was allegedly delayed from take-off at the Lagos airport as mechanics discovered some faults and changed the hydraulic fluid under the left side under carriage tyre mechanism.

When Dana Airlines was contacted for their reaction, an official of the carrier, who did not want his name published, said that an official statement would be issued by the company.

The MD-83 was manufactured in 1983, announced go-ahead on January 31, 1983 and had first flight on December 17, 1984. It was a longer range development of the basic MD-81/82 with higher weights, more powerful engines, increased fuel capacity and longer range.  It was equipped with slightly more powerful 21,000 1bf Pratt and Whitney JT8D-219s as standard.

The aircraft also had higher operating weights with MTOW increased to 160,000 1b and MLW to 139,500 1b. Typical range for the MD-83 with 155 passengers in around 2,504 nautical miles (4,637km).

Timeline of fatal plane crashes in Nigeria
November 20, 1969 – Nigeria Airways BAC VC10 crashes on landing in Lagos, killing 87 on board.
January 22, 1973 – Royal Jordanian Airlines Flight 707 crashed in Kano. All 171 Nigerians returning from Mecca and 5 crew members died.
March 1, 1978 – Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashes in Kano, killing 16.
November 28, 1983 – Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashes on approach in Enugu, killing 53 on board.
July 11, 1991 – Nigeria Airways DC-8-61 crashes in Jeddah, killing 261 on board.
September 26, 1992 – Nigerian Air Force A C-130 plane crashes minutes after take-off from Lagos, killing 200 on board.
June 24, 1995 – Harka Air Services Tupolev 34 crashes on landing in Lagos, killing 16.
November 13, 1995 – Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashes on landing in Kaduna, killing 9.
November 7, 1996 – A Nigerian ADC Airline Boeing 727-231, flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into a lagoon with all on board killed.
January 31, 1997 – SkyPower Express Airways Embraer 110PIA crashes on landing in Yola, killing 5.
January 5, 2000 – SkyPower Express Airways Bandeirante 110P1A crashes on landing in Abuja, killing 17.
May 4, 2002 – Nigerian EAS Airlines’ BAC 1-11-500, with 105 people on board, crashed and burst into flames in a densely populated suburb of Kano. 76 on board killed, including 72 on the ground bringing it to a total 148 dead.
October 22, 2005 – A Nigerian Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 airliner, with 117 people on board, crashes and disintegrates in flames shortly after take-off from Lagos. All on board were killed.
December 10, 2005 – A Nigerian Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board. Most of the victims were schoolchildren going home for Christmas.
September. 17, 2006 – A Nigerian 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane, carrying 15 senior army officers and three crew members, crashed in Benue leaving only three survivors that sustained serious injuries.
October 29, 2006 – A Nigerian ADC Airline Boeing, 737 with 104 on board, crashes minutes after take-off from Abuja’s airport during a rain storm. All but 6 perished in the disaster.

Culled from Daily Times

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YOUNG WHITE GIRL SURVIVES DANA AIRPLANE CRASH

 

A young girl was pulled out of the wreckage of the Dana aircraft that crashed in Lagos alive.

A commercial aircraft belonging to Dana Air heading to Abuja on a local flight crashed in a densely populated residential area in the Iju/Shaga area of Lagos less than five minutes from Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos.

Several eyewitnesses, including a rescue worker, confirmed the story of the young survivor. Though her nationality and other details about her are not yet known, the eye witnesses said she was white. She was also said to have been badly wounded and was immediately rushed off for medical attention. Source Daily Trust

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Plane Crash In Lagos!

A Dana air commercial aircraft from abuja to Lagos just crashed around Iju in Lagos with abouth 153 passengers onboard! Details are still sketchy but will keep you updated.

UPDATE 1. It crashed into a powerline.

UPDATE 2! Pictures from the scene.

Update 3: To see more pictures click HERE

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